Calibrachoa plant named ‘KLEC00066’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘KLEC00066’, characterized by its arching and somewhat cascading plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; white and red purple bi-colored flowers; and good weather tolerance.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Calibrachoa sp.cultivar KLEC00066.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEC00066’.

The new Calibrachoa is a product of a mutation induction breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the program is to create new early-flowering Calibrachoa cultivars with cascading and freely branching growth habit and attractive flower colors.

The new cultivar originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of a proprietary selection of Calibrachoa identified as S 95, not patented, to x-ray radiation in Stuttgart, Germany. Terminal cuttings were harvested from the irradiated plants, planted and flowered in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany. The cultivar KLEC00066 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within this population in 1999 on the basis of its arching and somewhat cascading plant habit and bi-colored flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since June, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar KLEC00066 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, water status and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘KLEC00066’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘KLEC00066’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa:

1. Arching and somewhat cascading plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Early and freely flowering habit.

4. White and red purple bi-colored flowers.

5. Good weather tolerance; tolerant to rain and low and high temperatures.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in flower color as flower color of plants of the new Calibrachoa are white and red purple bi-colored whereas flower color of plants of the parent selection is solid red purple.

Plants of the new cultivar can be compared to plants of the Calibrachoa cultivar Sunbelkic, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the cultivar Sunbelkic in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more cascading than plants of the cultivar Sunbelkic.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Calibrachoa are lighter green in color than leaves of plants of the cultivar Sunbelkic.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Calibrachoa is white and red purple bi-colored whereas flower color of plants of the cultivar Sunbelkic is yellow.

Plants of the new cultivar are similar in flower color to plants of the cultivar KLEC00068, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of the cultivar KLEC00068 in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are not as cascading as plants of the cultivar KLEC00068.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Calibrachoa are darker green in color than leaves of plants of the cultivar KLEC00068.

3. The red purple flower coloration of plants of the new Calibrachoa is darker than the red purple flower coloration of plants of the cultivar KLEC00068.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Calibrachoa. The photograph comprises a close-up view of a typical plant of ‘KLEC00066’ grown in a hanging basket container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in 12-cm containers were used for following description. Plants were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions from January to May in Stuttgart, Germany in polyethylene-covered greenhouses. Plants used for the description and the photographs were about four months from planting rooted cuttings. During the production period, day and night temperatures ranged from about 10 to 18° C. and light levels were about 20,000 lux during the beginning of the production period increasing to 50,000 lux towards the end of the production period.

Parentage: Induced mutation of a proprietary selection of Calibrachoa sp. identified as S 95, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate and develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 20 to 26° C. Winter: About 28 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fine, fibrous, well-branched, white in color.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; initially upright to semi-upright; arching and somewhat cascading; uniformly mounded appearance.

Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes and patio containers.

Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).—About 8 cm.

Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 40 cm.

Growth rate.—Relatively moderate.

Branching habit.—Freely branching, about 5 to 7 lateral branches per plant; pinching is typically not required.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 to 1.5 cm. Internode length: About 5 to 10 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144C.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical and long persisting; sessile. Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 1.5 to 2.5 cm. Width: About 6 to 12 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 141A. Young foliage, lower surface: 143A. Mature foliage, upper surface: 137B. Mature foliage, lower surface: 137D. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 145B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Flowers face somewhat upright or outward; single, axillary; salverform. Flowers not persistent. Very freely flowering with about 25 to 30 flowers per lateral stem. Not fragrant.

Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous.

TIme to flower.—Very early flowering; plants begin flowering about 10 weeks after planting.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 7 days.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 2.5 to 3 cm. Tube length: About 1 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 6 mm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 2 mm.

Flower buds (before showing color).—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2 to 5 mm. Shape: Roughly oblong. Color: 149C.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat: About 9 to 16 mm. Petal width: About 1 to 1.2 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate with obtuse apex. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, upper and lower surfaces, when opening: Ground color, 157A; center of petal, overlain with 67A. Petal, upper surface, opened flower: Ground color, 157A; center of petal overlain with 67A; red purple color fading to 75A with subsequent development; venation, 72B. Petal, lower surface, opened flower: Ground color, 157A; center of petal overlain with 72B; venation, 72A. Flower throat (inside): 160A; venation, 71A. Flower tube (outside): 160A; venation, 72B.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals, star-shaped. Length: About 1.2 to 1.9 cm. Width: About 2 to 4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Upper surface: 138A. Lower surface: 138B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 1.6 to 2.4 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: Erect to about 15° from vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 1 to 2 mm. Anther color: 11B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 11B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Oval. Stigma color: 149A. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color: 150A. Ovary color: 154A.

Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been noted to be resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa are tolerant to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 1 to 50° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named 